The Merchant (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #4)

1467

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

The Merchant (from the Tarocchi, series E: Conditions of Man, #4) is a 1467 by Master of the E-Series Tarocchi, a Renaissance work, depicting Ferrara, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Master of the E-Series Tarocchi
When & what style?: 1467 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The Merchant is a full-length male figure turned to the left, reading a piece of paper. He's dressed in clothing that suggests his social status. The series this engraving is from shows different levels of society, from a beggar to a pope. This image is similar to works by artists from the same time period, and to learn more, you can look up the museum that houses this piece, The Cleveland Museum of Art.

The story of this work

Overview

This engraving is part of the Tarocchi group marked with the letter “E,” and named Conditions of Man . This series outlines the social and hierarchical order of ten characters (Beggar, Servant, Artisan, Merchant, Gentleman, Knight, Doge King, Emperor, and Pope), starting from the lower grade and ending with the most important one. Here, Merchadante (The Merchant) is shown as a full-length male figure, turned to the left. He reads a piece of paper that he is holding in his hands.

Read the full account in the museum source.